The Secret
by redrider6612
Summary: What if Booth and Brennan became romantically involved and tried to keep it secret? Rated M for some major steaminess and somewhat explicit sex
1. Chapter 1

The Secret

Booth sat back against the couch cushions and took a swig of his beer. Brennan was still eating slowly, gaze fixed on a point on the wall, the line between her brows indicating that she was deep in thought. He allowed his gaze to wander over her exquisite profile, lingering on her lips for an agonizing moment, before continuing down her long slender neck and stopping at her impressive cleavage. His mouth went dry as his wayward thoughts took him in a direction that they had been taking him far too much lately. It was getting more and more difficult to rein in the sexual attraction he felt for his partner. He tried to call up the list of reasons he shouldn't act on his feelings, but his libido was having none of that tonight. All he could think of was how soft her skin looked and how much he wanted to kiss her. Putting his beer down, he stood up and stretched. Time to go before it was too late.

"Well, Bones, it's getting late. Thanks for dinner," he said, unable to meet her startled gaze. It was almost like she'd forgotten he was there. In reality, she had been intensely aware of his presence, fighting an inner war against her longing to throw caution to the wind and act on her feelings. If he had any inkling of what she had been thinking about, chances were he wouldn't be leaving. He reached for his jacket.

She stood as well. "Uh, sure, you're welcome, Booth," she replied, smiling a little. "So, I'll see you Monday?" Don't go, she almost added aloud. Get a grip, Tempe, she scolded herself. He obviously doesn't feel it. It was better that way, she told herself firmly. She followed him to the door.

Booth turned and found her right there, a lot closer than he'd expected. He made the mistake of looking down into her lovely blue-green eyes. His words of farewell died and he stood there with his mouth open, speechless.

She was looking up at him, longing and loneliness etched on her face. The smile she wore slowly faded as she took a step closer, face tilted up to his. Then Booth made the final, irrevocable move, the one that sealed their fate.

Grasping her upper arms, taking a deep breath, he tried one last time to get a grip on his raging hormones. But her eyes had dropped to his lips and her face was flushed as her breathing picked up and he knew in that moment that she wanted him too. A groan marked the battle lost and he closed the gap between them at last.

Her lips were even softer than he'd imagined and he groaned again as he angled his mouth over hers, folding her into his arms at last. Her lips opened and his heart threatened to slam out of his chest as her tongue stroked over his slowly, as though savoring the sensation. Her arms stole up around his neck and pulled him even closer. Time stood still and raced by as their kisses melded into one another, each more thrilling than the last. Finally, when the need for oxygen had become urgent, they pulled apart just a little. Booth looked into her flushed face in wonder and felt a thrill as he saw the wonder in her face too. He finally found his voice, though it cracked with emotion.

"Wow," was all he could manage, and she smiled.

"That's what I was going to say," she said, a little shyly. "How—how long have you wanted…?" she began, unable to finish verbalizing the thought as she lost herself in the depths of his warm brown eyes.

His lips quirked. "A long time," he replied against his better judgment. Things were still as complicated as they could be, but he found it hard to find the will to put a stop to this. Fortunately for both of them, the clinical side of Brennan finally won the battle raging in her head. Stroking his cheek softly, running her fingers fleetingly across his lips, she sighed a little and stepped back, breaking the circle of his arms. She angled her body away from him to discourage any further attempt to hold her.

"Me too," she admitted softly, against her will, raising a hand to stop his move to touch her again. "Booth, we need to stop and think about all the reasons that have held us back all this time. Once we've crossed the line, it will be hard to go back. Think about what we may lose if we let this go any further."

Booth put his hands in his pockets, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly as reality once more came crashing in. She was right, as usual. He didn't want to do anything they might regret later, not without thinking through the ramifications first. If they decided to follow their feelings, they needed to do it fully aware of the possible consequences.


	2. Chapter 2

The Secret Part 2

They sat at opposite ends of the couch and an awkward silence fell as they looked everywhere but at each other, searching for the right words. Finally, when the tension had reached an unbearable level, they both turned and spoke at the same time.

"I think—" said Brennan.

"We should—" Booth began. They both laughed and there was another strained pause. "Go ahead, you first," he said, in a way anxious to hear what she had to say.

"First, I'm afraid you're going to allow our relationship to distract you. It could be dangerous." She kept her voice even and her gaze steady, proud of her self control. The thought that he might be hurt or even killed on her account chilled her to the bone.

Booth shook his head. "No more dangerous than it is now. The feelings I have for you are already there, a part of me. I couldn't ignore them even if we didn't go any further," he said softly, firmly. "What else?"

"What if it doesn't work out? Six months, a year from now, we break up. How could we go back to just being partners?" Tears gathered in her eyes, and she looked away to blink them back. When her eyes came back to his, the tears were gone.

His heart went out to her as he sensed that this had to do with her fear of abandonment. He clenched his fist on his thigh as he fought the urge to reach for her. He could tell her self control was hanging by a thread and knew it could break at the smallest gesture. "I love being your partner, Bones. Working cases with you is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. I won't let anything get in the way of that," he promised solemnly.

She continued to study him, measuring his sincerity against her past experiences with other people and all that she knew of his character. She drew a shaky breath. "I wish I had that kind of certainty. I really don't know if I could go back to a platonic relationship with you after…" she couldn't finish as a lump lodged in her throat and she closed her eyes, struggling against tears again.

"I have some experience with that. I mean, Cam and I have no problem—" Booth began, trying to be reassuring, but his words had the opposite affect.

"Don't you dare compare this to your relationship with Cam!" she snapped, surprising them both with her vehemence. She drew a shaky breath and blew it back out. "Sorry," she whispered. "Sore subject. Seeing you with Cam, knowing that it was more of a 'friends with benefits' kind of arrangement, bothered me more than I like to admit. I couldn't do that with you," she admitted, looking away.

"Bones," he said gently. "Temperance," he said, more firmly this time. He waited until her eyes came back to his. "I'm sorry. I was wrong to make that comparison. I couldn't handle that with you either. You mean too much to me, more than Cam ever could."

Again her wary gaze measured his sincerity and Booth met it squarely, trying to communicate his certainty, if possible to share some of that certainty with her. He waited patiently, somehow knowing she just needed a little time to work it out. Her gaze moved past him and the minutes ticked by. Weighing everything that had been said so far, logic dictated that she bring up one final issue. Her eyes met his again.

"What if Cullen won't let us work together after we become involved?" she asked softly.

Booth's mouth was grim. "My personal life is my own, and you aren't with the FBI, so he technically can't do anything about it. But there is a possibility he could reassign me under some pretense." Booth scooted closer to her. "He doesn't have to know. Nobody needs to know. We can keep our personal and professional lives separate."

She looked at him, smiling faintly. "I can if you can. You're the more emotional of the two of us," she teased.

Booth straightened, mildly offended. "I am not!" he denied, even as he realized she was right. It was ironic, really. Usually women were more emotional. But he knew he had a tendency to react without thinking things through logically. It was just how he was. "Okay, but I know I can do it, I'm sure I could keep things on a professional footing, especially if you can." I hope, he added silently. He prayed he wouldn't be put to the test.

Brennan rose, needing to put a little distance between them. His proximity was distracting. Between her feelings for him and all the logical arguments, she felt her resolve wavering. She turned when she felt she was far enough away, finding his gaze locked on her. "I need to think about this, okay? I need some time to get my mind around this."

Hope dawned in his eyes and she didn't have the heart to snuff it. He rose and approached her cautiously. He took her hand and lifted it, kissing her palm sweetly. "That's fine, I can wait," he said softly, his deep voice sending a thrill up her spine. "Just don't take too long, Temperance. I can only take limbo for so long." His other hand slid along her jaw and into her hair, and then he was kissing her like this would be their last kiss. Brennan sighed, shuddering at the feelings racing through her. He nibbled at her bottom lip and she groaned, pulling his head down to deepen the kiss. His hands roamed down her back, molding her closer, but it still wasn't close enough. He moaned and squeezed her tighter one last time, then forced himself to pull away. They stood a hand's breadth apart, eyes closed, breathing hard, forehead to forehead.

"Well, I'm gonna go now. Call me soon?" he asked hopefully. Brennan nodded, unable to speak. With a last glance her way, he was gone. She got ready for bed, her movements automatic, then lay there for a long time, her thoughts going in circles, before sleep finally came.


	3. Chapter 3

The Secret Part 3

Mondays were usually her favorite day of the week. Everyone else dragged in at 9 a.m., grumbling about Monday mornings, showing the after affects of a busy weekend. She was always there hours before everyone else. She found the peace soothing and got a lot more done in those first few hours. It almost made up for the fact that she couldn't come in on Sundays. Not that she couldn't get _into_ the lab on Sundays, but Angela had made a habit of calling her apartment at odd hours on Sundays, and if she didn't pick up, she got the third degree on Monday. She could deal with Ange, but for the sake of a harmonious relationship, and because she knew her friend meant well, she made herself spend Sundays at home. And maybe Ange was right. Working seven days a week wasn't healthy.

This Monday morning was different. She'd been awake into the wee hours, unable to sleep as her mind worried at her problem with Booth, so she'd overslept. She hated oversleeping. It rarely happened, but when it did, it put her in a foul mood. She still managed to be the first one in the lab, barely. She was hanging up her coat when Angela breezed into her office.

"Gooood mor-ning," Angela sing-songed cheerily. Brennan glanced at her sourly as she sat down at her desk Angela winced as she noticed how haggard Brennan looked. "Ouch! Sweetie, what happened? Rough weekend? Hey! Did you work yesterday?" she asked accusingly.

Brennan kicked herself mentally as she realized she was blowing it. She pasted on a smile. "No, Ange, you know I didn't. You called me three times yesterday. I just didn't sleep well last night. It's this case, I just can't seem to get it out of my head."

Angela frowned. That smile didn't look right. Something was up. "Why would you lose sleep over this case? I thought you'd already determined the guy died by natural causes."

Brennan groaned inwardly. That's right, she had. Think, Brennan. "I know, but something doesn't feel right. I want to take another look at the data and reexamine the remains in case I missed something." Angela was studying her with a puzzled look. Brennan managed to convey an air of perplexity. Brennan's heart sank as she sensed that Angela still wasn't convinced.

"Sweetie, the odds of you 'missing something' are practically nil. And since when do you rely on 'feelings' to guide you? I think Booth may be rubbing off on you. So, are you gonna tell me what's up, or do I need to get out my instruments of torture?" Angela teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about. It's entirely possible I missed something, and if the man was murdered, I owe it to him to find his killer. Something just doesn't feel right," she insisted doggedly.

Angela straightened with a sigh. "Okay, if you don't wanna tell me, don't. But know this—I have my ways of finding things out. Your secret won't be safe from me for long," she warned with a mischievous grin. With that, she swept out, leaving Brennan unsettled and worried. She could have handled that better, but she wasn't sure how. Sighing with frustration, she booted her computer up and got down to work.

It was nearly lunchtime and still no sign of Booth. Brennan supposed she should be grateful for his absence, but her thoughts kept straying to speculation as to his whereabouts and she was having a hard time concentrating. Then the card reader beeped and he was bounding up the stairs and her heart started slamming in her chest. Assuming a nonchalant mask, she glanced up at him. Big mistake. He looked so good. Okay, maybe he looked like he always did, dark suit, unconventional tie, white shirt, but for some reason she found him even sexier than usual. Tearing her eyes away from him and back to the remains she was examining, she scolded herself for letting him get to her. 'I _can_ be detached' she kept telling herself. She almost believed it by the time she felt his presence beside her.

"Hey, Bones, isn't that Harvey Simpson, the guy you said died of natural causes?" His voice sounded like it always did, but Brennan couldn't control the thrill it sent along her nerve endings. 'Don't look at him' she warned herself sternly.

"Yes. I wanted to take another look at the remains. Something about my findings didn't feel right," she said evenly.

Booth bent closer, a puzzled look on his face. "Feel right? Since when do go on feelings? I thought all the evidence pointed to natural causes?"

Brennan was doing her best to ignore all the things his proximity were doing to her pulse and respiration, to no avail. Straightening, she moved around the table on the pretext of examining the right fibula. Ignoring her internal warnings, she glanced at him and found him studying her with a cocked smile. "What? I just want to be sure. If this man was murdered, we need to find his killer. Why is everyone questioning my need to be thorough?"

Booth's smile widened. "I'm rubbing off on you, aren't I? You had a gut feeling and you're acting on it!" he crowed triumphantly. Putting his hands on his hips, he turned to look around at the others. "Am I right?" he asked the room at large.

Zach was looking thoughtfully at his mentor, unwilling to verbalize his agreement for fear of angering her. Hodgins was grinning and nodding. Most distressing of all was the penetrating gaze Angela had trained on her. Brennan tried to defuse the situation.

"Maybe you're right, Booth. I have, on occasion, acknowledged the validity of your 'gut' feelings. Is it so hard to believe that I may be learning to follow similar 'gut feelings' in myself?" She raised her chin, daring anyone to argue.

It was working. Zach smiled a little and went back to work, Hodgins shook his head, chuckling, and turned back to his computer terminal. Even Angela returned to what she'd been doing, after raising her eyebrows in mild surprise at her friend's admission. Brennan suppressed a sigh of relief and returned to her examination of the remains. Booth was the only one she couldn't deceive.

"So, no more cracks about my 'gut feelings', right?" he murmured from across the table. Brennan shot him an irritated glare and he backed off with an infuriating grin. Oh, she huffed to herself. The man could be so _smug_ sometimes!


	4. Chapter 4

The Secret Part 4

All thoughts of Booth flew out of her mind as she noticed something that she hadn't seen before. She leaned closer, trying to confirm what she was seeing. "Zach, do you have the xrays of the victim's hands?" she asked without looking up.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan," he replied, pulling the films from the envelope and attaching them to the light box.

Brennan straightened, a frown between her brows, and walked over to look closely at the xrays. "Can we magnify this section? I think there are hairline fractures of the intermediate and distal phalanges here," she pointed at the image with a pen, "here and here."

Zach stepped close to the light box, a magnifying glass in hand. After a long moment, he nodded. "You're right. They're pretty faint, but there just the same. In the absence of any other apparent wounds, they must have been overlooked. Do you think they are defensive wounds?"

Taking the magnifying glass from him, she took a closer look herself. "They look like they might have been sustained in a fistfight or boxing. Was the victim a boxer?" she asked Booth, who stood behind her, squinting at the xrays. He couldn't see what they were talking about, but then, that was nothing new.

"Extreme fighter," he replied absently. He leaned in closer, squinting harder, his chest coming into contact with her right shoulder. Brennan ignored the sensations radiating from the contact point and turned to ask him what he meant, startled to find his face so close to hers. She took a step away under the pretext of pulling the images off the light box and handing them to Zach.

"See if you can enhance these in the computer. We need to determine if these were old fractures that had healed or if they were fresh." Composed once more, she looked at Booth, who had that infuriating sparkle of amusement in his eyes. "Extreme fighter?" she asked, frowning a warning at him. She was in no mood for his needling.

He took a step back and put his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, you know, no holds barred kinda fighting. Brutal," he finished, as though that said it all.

"Is that legal?" Brennan asked, horrified that a modern industrialized society like theirs might condone that kind of brutality.

Booth shrugged, seeing no problem. "Sure. The fighters know what they're in for and they train extensively for it."

She shook her head. "I can't even watch boxing. I can't imagine there is any entertainment value in watching men beating each other up. Anthropologically speaking, it's a classic example of alpha males battling for supremacy. I just don't understand why a society as advanced as ours still condones it—it's barbaric. Do you watch it?" she asked curiously.

Booth shrugged again. "Now and then, mostly when I'm with my buddy, Chad. It's not really my kind of sport. But I can understand why some men find it entertaining."

Brennan shuddered, but was rescued from further discussion by Zach.

"Dr. Brennan, this is at 200X magnification. Some of the hairline fractures appear to be healed, while others are fresh, within hours of T.O.D. There are also healed oblique and compound fractures of the right tibia and fibula," he finished, indicating xrays of the victim's right leg.

"Why didn't you mention that in your report?" Brennan asked more sharply than she intended. Zach withered a little under her stare.

"Since they were fully healed, I didn't think they had anything to do with cause of death," he explained timidly.

Brennan reined in her temper. "_Always_ report any evidence of past injuries found in examining the remains. Even if they aren't pertinent to the case, they could indicate the victim's occupation or give us some insight into the victim's history. _Nothing_ is insignificant," she stressed. She felt Booth's hand on her sleeve.

"Take it easy, Bones. It was a logical mistake," Booth said, surprised at her bad temper.

Brennan rounded on him, finding a new target. "Don't tell me how to treat my people and don't tell me how to run my lab. If you don't like it, you're free to leave." Utter silence greeted her outburst, and Booth took an involuntary step back. She turned back to Zach, gentling her tone a tad. "I need you to go back over every bone in that body and give me a complete cataloging of every fracture, healed or fresh." Avoiding eye contact with everyone, she turned on her heel and headed for her office. There was a collective sigh at the release of tension her departure provided. Suddenly everyone found things that needed their immediate attention. Booth watched his partner go into her office and debated the wisdom of following her. Straightening his tie and shooting his cuffs, he decided he was up for it.

Brennan sighed as Booth came into her office. "I should have locked the door," she muttered irritably. He made himself at home as she sat in her desk chair, trying to ignore him. He was having none of that.

"What's up, Bones? I've never seen you this irritable." He propped an ankle on the opposite knee and admired his rainbow socks.

Brennan sighed. She really didn't want to do this with him right now, but she knew he wasn't going away until they did. "It was a stupid mistake. Totally unlike Zach. Maybe I could have been more diplomatic in handling it, but that is between me and Zach. I'll talk to him later, make it right."

Booth studied her, shaking his head. "That's not why I'm in here. Something else is going on here." He wiggled his foot, leaning back, hands folded behind his head. "Friday night."

Brennan's lips thinned as her temper rose again. "Of all the egotistical, self important…" she trailed off as Booth grinned, the last response she expected. "Did you come in here for any reason other than to piss me off?" she demanded heatedly.

That wiped the smile off his face. Dropping his hands to his thighs, he sat forward. "That was not my intent," he said softly. He sighed. "Look, Bones, this isn't like you. In the lab, you're the queen of cool logic. What else could be going on with you?"

She stared at him, her rage seeping away. Closing her eyes, she dropped her head forward in defeat. "Okay, I admit it," she confessed at last, looking up to meet his eyes. "I haven't slept more than a few hours at a time since you left Friday night. Happy now? Is that what your ego needed?" she asked harshly, aware she wasn't being fair, but unable to help herself.

Booth leaned forward further, holding her gaze steadily. "You know better than that, Temperance," he said softly. "It seems I'm not the only one who doesn't find limbo comfortable. Is there anything I can do?" he offered far more gently than she deserved.

Closing her eyes, she turned her face away. Tears choked her and all she could do was shake her head. Suddenly he was there beside her, pulling her up out of her chair and into his arms. Leaning her cheek on his chest, she fought the urge to cry until it was gone, replaced by a new feeling of contentment. Pulling back, she looked up at him.

"You call this professional behavior?" she asked with a glimmer of a smile. Booth smiled tenderly.

"Hey, I can't give my partner a 'guy hug'?" he asked, relieved that he seemed to have defused her anger.

"Not when you look at me like that," she retorted softly. "If you even try to kiss me in my office, I'll have you flat on your back before you know what hit you," she threatened, only half kidding. Booth took a step back and put up his hands in mock surrender.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me twice. I've seen you in action," he teased. His smile faded. "You okay now?"

She nodded and sat back down, pulling a file toward her. "I'll be fine. I'll, uh, see you later." And with that he was dismissed. Booth stood there another minute, then left without another word. Some things just needed to be left alone to work themselves out. The fact that Friday night had unbalanced her to this extent gave him hope that things might go his way. He left the Jeffersonian with a lighter step than he'd come in with.


	5. Chapter 5

The Secret Part 5

Several hours had passed. Brennan hit send on her last email reply and shut down the computer, more exhausted than she'd been in a very long time. She rolled her head around on her neck, then took a swig of her cup of lukewarm herbal tea, grimacing at the bitterness. Zach appeared at her door, file in hand, and she felt a pang of guilt at the look on his face and the hesitation in his stance.

"What is it, Zach?" she asked gently.

Zach took a step into the office. "I finished my examination of the skeleton as you requested, Dr. Brennan. Do you want to see my report?"

She smiled tiredly, shaking her head. "Tomorrow's soon enough, Zach. Thank you." He nodded jerkily and turned to leave. "Zach?" He turned back. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. There is no excuse for the way I spoke to you."

A relieved smile broke across his youthful features. "Apology accepted, Dr. Brennan. See you tomorrow?" At her nod he waved and left. Pulling her purse out of her drawer, she put her coat on. Suddenly Angela was there.

"Going home, Sweetie? You must be tired, it's only five," her friend commented.

Meeting her friend's probing gaze, Brennan sighed and slung her purse onto her shoulder. "Yeah, I think I'll grab some dinner on the way home and get to bed early tonight." Angela didn't comment, just stood there looking concerned. "I apologized to Zach, if that's what you're worried about."

"I know, Bren, I saw him leaving and I could tell from his expression." She paused, obviously debating with herself. Brennan didn't have to wait long to find out the subject of the debate. "What's going on with you? You've been acting weird all day."

Brennan started toward the door. "Can this wait? I'm exhausted and I just want to go home," she said, stopping in front of Angela, who was blocking her exit.

After another long moment of studying her, Angela reached out and squeezed her friend's arm. "Sure, Sweetie. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

Brennan managed a weak smile, sighing inwardly at the reprieve as she brushed past Angela. She knew Ange wouldn't leave it alone for long, but decided for her own peace of mind not to worry about it. A good night's sleep was all she needed.

Her cell rang as she struggled to open her front door, juggling purse, keys and take out bags. Dropping everything inside the door, she dug the phone out of her purse.

"Brennan," she said, and felt her spirits rise at Booth's voice.

"Angela said you'd already gone home. Are you okay?" he asked gently.

Putting her keys on the table by the door, she shrugged out of her coat and hung it up on the hall tree. "I'm fine. I wish everyone would quit asking me that," she said somewhat irritably.

"Maybe they would if you'd quit being so prickly," he teased.

She sighed. "I'm really tired and hungry. Can this wait? My dinner's getting cold."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that you got home safely. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

She closed her eyes as tears threatened in response to the warm caring in his voice. The fact that she didn't deserve it after the way she'd behaved made it that much more poignant. "Yeah, thanks, Booth. See you tomorrow," she replied softly, a faint smile on her face.

Tuesday dawned and Brennan felt almost normal again. Exhaustion and judicious use of a sleeping tablet had guaranteed that she slept long and hard. She was back at her desk at 7 a.m., fresh coffee and Zach's report on the desk in front of her.

Harvey Simpson had been a very resilient man, she thought as she scanned down the list Zach had made. In addition to the healed fractures in his right leg, Zach had determined his right shoulder had been dislocated more than once and his left radius had been broken and healed. Close examination of the skull revealed a minor fracture of the left parietal bone from approximately five years ago. She wondered why anyone would continue in a sport that caused so many injuries. Brennan shook her head, mystified.

"What's the matter?" Brennan jumped as Booth spoke, so absorbed in her study of Zach's report that she hadn't heard him come in.

"Must you sneak up on me?" she snapped. Realizing she sounded like she did yesterday, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing her heartbeat to return to normal.

"Hey," he said, hands raised,"no sneaking here. Really, I just walked in like I always do, but you were concentrating pretty intensely."

"Whatever." A thought occurred to her. "You're a strong alpha male, would you mind answering a question?"

Booth drew himself up proudly, but then asked a question of his own. "When you say 'strong alpha male', do you mean that in a negative way? 'Cuz that's the kinda vibe I'm getting."

Brennan frowned. "It's just an anthropological observation. There's no connotation attached, either negative or positive." He smiled a little, uncertain if she had just given him a compliment or not. She didn't enlighten him. "Why would a man continue to participate in a sport so dangerous that he suffers numerous injuries?" she asked curiously.

He raised his eyebrows, shrugging a bit. "Maybe he enjoys the challenge, pitting himself against an opponent he can test his skills against. If he experienced enough victories to balance out his defeats, that would be incentive enough. Why?"

She was frowning again, trying to understand. "The victim suffered a number of serious injuries over the years, but he continued to participate in this 'extreme fighting'. Logic dictates that self preservation should have caused him to stop years ago. I don't understand why he didn't."

Booth shrugged again. "There's no telling. I mean, I've heard Evel Knievel broke every bone in his body over the course of his career, some more than once. Didn't stop him."

Brennan was still frowning. "Who?"

Booth sighed. "You never heard of Evel Knievel, the motorcycle stunt guy? Jumped long rows of cars and even tried to jump across the Grand Canyon?" The frown remained and he sighed again. She was hopeless. "Some guys just get off on the rush, Bones. I hear it's addictive."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose it could be. The rush of adrenaline must be overwhelming." She was quiet a long time, her eyes unfocused, as Booth took a seat and tried to wait patiently. Finally, just when he thought he couldn't wait any longer, her gaze focused on him. "Well, I don't understand it, but I guess I don't really need to."

Booth smiled and sat forward. "Great! So, did your hunch pan out? Was our victim killed or was it natural causes?"

Brennan shook her head. "There isn't enough evidence on the bones. Maybe if we had some soft tissue to work with, but the body was too badly decomposed. I'm afraid this one isn't going to be solved, at least not by my lab."

Booth's heart sank. "You're probably right. I haven't had any luck either. No leads at all. I've questioned friends, family, acquaintances, hell, I even talked to his landlord." They were both quiet, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Well, I'll organize the reports and all of my notes and have the file for you by tomorrow," Brennan finally said, pushing the file aside and picking up another.

Booth took the hint and stood up to leave. "Wanna have lunch later?" he asked hopefully.

Brennan shook her head without looking up. "I brought a sandwich from home. I have a lot to catch up on since I went home early yesterday."

His heart sank. He'd been looking forward to having lunch with her.

When he didn't move to leave, she looked up. "So, I'll see you when the next case comes in?" she asked pointedly, anxious to get back to her paperwork. The look on his face removed any work related thoughts. Her heart squeezed. "I still need time, Booth. I'm just starting to get my balance." Her eyes pleaded for understanding.

He smiled a little. "I know. It's just—hard. I want—no, I need to spend time with you. But I understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it." He turned to go. "I'll see ya later," he said softly, and with a final warm glance, he was gone. She stared after him for a long time. Her greatest fear was that the damage was already done. Their relationship had been altered and would never be the same, regardless of her decision. She felt a deep sadness at the loss.


	6. Chapter 6

The Secret Part 6

Brennan shut her computer down at 5:30 on Friday, preparing to go home. She had made up her mind about her and Booth. Now she needed to tell him. She looked at the phone, debating the wisdom of calling. She hadn't heard from him since Tuesday and she missed him more than she cared to admit. She wondered if he had missed her too. 'Only one way to find out, idiot,' she thought, picking up the receiver.

"Booth," he answered, and the sound of his voice after all this time stole her voice away. "Hello?" he queried, pausing to listen.

"Hi, Booth," she finally managed to say, a crack in her voice. She took a couple deep, cleansing breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart.

"Bones? Everything okay?" he asked, concern in his tone. He'd already decided to call her tonight if she didn't call first. He was glad she had.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she replied. She was speechless for a moment, trying to find the right words. 'Oh, just say it, Brennan!' she thought. "Are you busy for dinner? I know it's late, but I was just wondering—"

"How about my place? I'll cook," he offered quickly before she could change her mind.

"That sounds wonderful. About eight?" she asked, relieved it was going so well. She couldn't remember why she had dreaded calling him.

"Okay, I'll see ya then," he said, grinning triumphantly as he hung up. It seemed leaving her alone for a few days had been the right way to handle the situation. Then his smile faded. What if she wanted to see him to tell him no? Standing up and grabbing his suit coat, he headed out. He'd make it damn near impossible for her to say no.

Brennan knocked hesitantly, gripping the neck of the bottle of chardonnay tightly. She was late because she had wasted half an hour deciding what to wear. She tried on and discarded three different dresses, then decided it was better to go casual, just in case he was dressed casually too. The jeans she put on were too casual, she thought, so she finally settled on a pair of black slacks and a royal blue scoop necked top. She wasn't thrilled with the outfit, but she was out of time and it would have to do.

The door opened suddenly and he was there and he looked so good. The greeting she had rehearsed died unspoken as she stood and stared. He wore jeans and the blue chambray shirt he'd worn in Aurora. For some reason it looked even better on him now than it had back then.

He smiled and took the wine from her. He didn't tell her how wonderful she looked, but she could see it in his eyes. "Hi! C'mon in," he said, pulling the door open wider. Brennan smiled too and walked into the living room, looking around. He hadn't changed anything since the last time she'd been there. She hesitated, uncertain what to do. Sit down on the couch? In the chair? Follow him to the kitchen? She felt his presence behind her before she could decide.

"Dinner's ready," he murmured in her right ear. She turned her head and was startled to find him very close. Suddenly she felt too warm. Stepping away from him, she shrugged out of her coat. He caught it deftly and went to hang it on the tree by the door. "Wanna relax for a bit, or are you ready to eat?" he asked, smiling as he sensed her discomfiture.

Brennan smiled at him somewhat nervously. "We can eat now, if you want to. What did you make?" she asked, curious.

He led the way to the dinner table, pulling out a chair for her. "Chicken alfredo and steamed broccoli, and there's chocolate mousse pie for dessert if you want." Sitting down, she laid her napkin on her lap. She froze as his fingers brushed down her arm. Her head whipped around, but he was gone.

He brought the wine first, pouring them each a glass. A moment later he was back with two plates of food and they settled down to eat.

"So, no cases?" she asked casually. She hoped he bought the act—she wasn't ready to admit to him that she'd missed him. Maybe later.

"No, I got a case Tuesday afternoon," he replied, and she raised her brows. "It wasn't your kind of case. No decomp, no bug activity, no burnt body, in fact, the body was very much intact. You wouldn't have liked it," he teased.

Brennan feigned affront, wincing at his graveyard humor. "You make me sound like some kind of twisted psycho," she complained teasingly. Just as quickly, she sobered. "I actually prefer there be no dead body at all," she said seriously. He reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"I know that." He studied her solemnly. "I missed you," he admitted softly, reaching to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. She closed her eyes as her senses started clamoring for more. Opening her eyes, she found his face inches away. Her walls crumbled at his tender look.

"I missed you too," she whispered unwillingly. Victory flared in his eyes but he made himself wait for her. His patience was rewarded a moment later when she closed the gap between them to kiss him softly. "Can we skip dessert?" she whispered against his lips.

He chuckled and kissed her briefly. "Absolutely," he murmured, pulling her to her feet so he could wrap her in his arms. "Chocolate mousse pie is overrated anyway," he said as he led the way to the living room.

"I doubt that," Brennan said. "I happen to love chocolate." They stopped at the couch.

"I meant in comparison to other more," he kissed her again as he lowered her to the cushions, "tasty"—kiss—"delectable"—kiss—"sweet"—longer kiss—"satisfying things I can think of," he finished, fully stretched out beside her. "Don't you agree?" he asked, his eyes smoldering with desire.

Brennan's pulse was pounding and she couldn't seem to form a coherent thought as sensations from all the areas of her body that were in contact with his flooded her mind. She frowned a bit. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" she asked, befuddled.

Chuckling, he gathered her closer. "Never mind, it wasn't important," he assured her. He leaned down to kiss her again, but her hand on his chest stopped him.

"Booth? Don't you want to know my answer?" she asked. She had the cutest frown on her face.

He chuckled, happier than he had been in a long time. "You gave it to me the minute you kissed me, Temperance," he murmured. His heart swelled until he thought it would burst as she smiled up at him.

"You're right," she said, pulling him down to kiss him. His tongue swept the roof of her mouth, sending intense pleasure screaming along her nerve endings. Goose bumps followed his hand as he stroked leisurely down her ribcage and curved around her butt. She shifted, trying to get closer, and he groaned as his desire grew. A moment later he almost lost it when her hand slipped up under his shirt and wandered up to his chest.

Brennan started working on his shirt buttons, feeling a sudden urgent need to feel his skin against hers. She only managed to get two undone before his hand stopped her. Her eyes flew open to meet his.

"Point of no return, Temperance," he said, his voice cracking. "This goes any further, I can't promise I'll be able to stop," he warned her.

She closed her eyes briefly, and when they opened once more his heart soared at the certainty he found in those beautiful eyes. "I love you," she whispered, finally admitting to them both what she'd secretly known for a long time.

The smile he gave her warmed her all the way to her soul. "I love you too," he said, and then he was kissing her again, pushing her top up so he could feel her skin against his as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it from his shoulders. They both groaned at the incredible sensations that were crashing through them, causing tremors that kept building until they couldn't wait any longer. The rest of their clothes were quickly shed and when they finally came together, it was perfect. Everything, all the complications and obstacles, were swept away as they each finally found themselves completed by the other.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Warning! Some major smutterfluff in this part. LOL my muse is feeling very fluffy today. Enjoy and please R&R 'cuz I LIVE for reviews!**

The Secret Part 7

The clock on the night stand said 3 a.m. and they were sharing a piece of chocolate mousse pie from a plate on his chest. She was snuggled up to his side, head propped on her hand, and his arm held her securely against his side as his hand idly stroked her naked hip. She giggled when a crumb from the bite she was feeding him fell on his collarbone. Leaning down, she licked it up, gasping when his arm tightened around her back. Her gaze locked with his and she melted at the warmth she found in those velvet brown depths. She kissed him lingeringly, savoring the sensations being skin to skin with him brought. Propping her head on her hand again, she spoke.

"Booth?" He smiled and raised his brows in query as his hand moved to explore the curves of her butt. She could feel his arousal against the thigh she had thrown across him and knew she didn't have much time before he'd follow through and then she wouldn't be able to talk. Not that she was complaining, making love with him was incredible, but they needed to address some issues. She set the plate on the night stand and looked at him seriously. He didn't seem to notice the change in her mood as his other hand stroked up her arm, over her shoulder, up her neck and into her luxurious hair. He pulled her down to kiss her neck, mouth open, and her breath caught in her throat as her senses began spiraling with desire again. With the last of her willpower, she pushed back.

"Booth," she said, louder this time. At least, she went for louder, but it came out more like a whimper.

"Hmmm?" was all he said as he rolled her on top of himself. Brennan lost any semblance of coherent thought as her breasts came into contact with his chest and both of his hands began stroking her back.

"Never mind," she murmured, leaning down to kiss him, her hair falling down to curtain their faces. Moving sinuously, she teased him with a roll of her hips. With a deep groan he rolled her to her back and slid between her thighs. They both moaned with delight as they connected and began a slow, steady rhythm.

Now the clock on the night stand said 4:20. Brennan was snuggled up to his side again. Her body felt boneless, satiated, and she marveled at the contentment she felt. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before and she laid her cheek on his chest, eyes closed, listening to the steady thump of his heart. His hand had stopped on the curve of her hip some time ago, and she knew he was asleep. With a small sigh and a faint smile she slipped into slumber too.

She started awake at 6:45. Her back was to his chest and his arm held her securely. The arm tightened marginally and she knew he was awake too. Rolling over, she looked up into his sleepy eyes and smiled softly. "Morning," he whispered, smiling.

"Good morning," she replied, stretching in his arms. "Hungry?" she asked as her stomach growled. His arms flexed around her and she knew he was thinking of a different kind of hunger than the one she was. The man was insatiable. She pushed up on her elbow. "No really, Booth, I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?"

He glanced at the clock and groaned. "Damn!" he muttered, pushing up in the bed to lean against the headboard. He scrubbed a hand down his face, trying to wake up.

"What?" she asked, lying back on her pillow. She was distracted by the sight of his naked chest. His pectorals were very nicely developed and she wondered how much time he spent at the gym.

"I'm supposed to pick Parker up this morning," he said. "I'm taking him to see the new Spider Man movie. I told Rebecca I'd be there by ten." Brennan started to roll out of bed but his hand on her arm stopped her. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"To make breakfast while you go take a shower. Hurry, you don't want to be late." Standing, she pulled on his shirt from last night and quickly buttoned it. Booth admired the length of leg exposed below the hem. There was nothing sexier than a woman in a man's shirt. Ignoring his interested gaze, she walked out of the bedroom. Sighing as he accepted the fact that he wasn't getting any more this morning, he got up and went to take a shower.

The wonderful aroma of fresh coffee and frying bacon drew him to the kitchen. Padding in barefoot wearing jeans and a Grateful Dead T-shirt, he stopped short at the sight of his partner standing at the stove. She had turned on the radio on the counter and was shaking it to the beat of 'Pour Some Sugar On Me'. He grinned as she started singing the chorus. God, she was cute.

Coming up behind her, he slipped his arms around her and kissed the sensitive spot on her neck that he'd discovered last night. She shivered deliciously and turned in his arms, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. She kissed him far too briefly. "You don't have any bread, so do you want to share a bagel?"

Dropping a kiss on her nose, he smiled. "Sure. Eggs?"

She nodded and turned to finish cooking the bacon. He brought out the eggs and they worked together to finish making breakfast.

As they sat eating, she finally brought up the subject of 'the secret'. "Do you really think we're going to be able to keep this from everyone?"

Booth chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Cullen's really the only one I'm concerned about, but the fewer people who know, the better. I don't want it getting back to him."

Brennan took a sip of coffee. "You know, we won't be able to keep it a secret forever," she pointed out, her face completely serious.

Booth felt his spirits rise. She was talking about forever. He liked the sound of that. He forced his attention to the issue at hand. "You're right. Let's just play it by ear for now, okay?" Taking her hand, he lifted it and kissed the inside of her wrist. Electricity raced up her arm from the place his lips touched and she smiled tenderly. "Wanna go to the movies with Parker and me?" he asked suddenly. Her smile faded as panic set in. Spend time with him and his son? She didn't know if she was ready for that.

"Aren't you afraid he'll tell Rebecca about us?" she asked desperately.

Booth sensed her reluctance and wondered at its source. "What's to tell? If we act normal and keep our hands off each other, he isn't gonna know. Think of it as a trial run," he suggested.

She could see the logic in that but tried to come up with another argument. "I really ought to go into the lab, at least for a few hours."

Booth sighed. She could be very stubborn at times. "C'mon, Bones. We don't have a case right now. What's there to do, identify some ten thousand year old guy?" Dipping his head a little, he made her meet his eyes. "What are you afraid of?" he asked gently.

Brennan frowned and sighed. "I'm not comfortable around children. They're—unpredictable and, at times, illogical. What if he doesn't like me?" she finished, confessing the true nature of her fear.

His hand cupped her cheek and he stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. "He's a Booth—he's gonna love you." Then he leaned forward to kiss her. "Please come? I wanna spend time with my two favorite people."

Brennan smiled, unable to resist him when he was being so sweet. "Fine." He grinned, looking like a kid with a new toy. "But would you mind not calling me 'Bones' when we're alone?" she pleaded.

"Sure, Temperance, anything you say," he agreed generously. Suddenly he was looking forward to the day more than ever.


	8. Chapter 8

The Secret Part 8

Booth found it amusing that Brennan had insisted on seating Parker between them in the theater. They were halfway through the movie and Booth glanced over to find the same rapt expression on both of their faces. Grinning, he returned his attention to the movie. Half of his enjoyment came from their obvious delight in the film. He munched popcorn as he watched, getting caught up in the story as well.

An hour later they came out, squinting in the sunlight. Parker bounced along between them, chattering a mile a minute about how cool the movie was. Brennan was frowning thoughtfully and he braced himself for a technical critique of the film.

"How could that man be made of sand?" she asked. "Where were his internal organs? And how did the sand stay together to form his body?" She shook her head, completely baffled.

"Bones, it was just a movie based on a comic book. How realistic are those?" He didn't even get a dirty look, she was so wrapped up in trying to work out all the illogical aspects of the film.

"Dr. Bones, didn't you like the movie?" Parker asked. Booth couldn't help but grin at Parker's nickname for his partner. He'd come up with it completely on his own and Bones hadn't objected to it once. Maybe because a five year old was saying it?

"What?" she asked, looking down at the little boy. "Oh, sure Parker, it was—very stimulating," she said, glancing at Booth for help. The idiot didn't do anything but smile in return.

"Daddy, what's 'simulating'?" Parker asked, completely at a loss. Sometimes Dr. Bones said really long words he didn't understand, but Daddy usually helped him.

"Stimulating, Parker. That's her way of saying she liked the movie," Booth stage whispered to his son.

"Why didn't she say that then?" Parker asked in a similar stage whisper, echoing a frequent complaint of Booth's. That's my boy, Booth thought proudly.

"She likes to show off her big vocabulary," he said, teasing her mercilessly.

"That's just the way I'm accustomed to speaking," she protested. "I don't spend a lot of time with children and I'm not used to catering to their level of comprehension."

Parker looked puzzled again. "Daddy, what's 'comp—comp—'" the poor boy struggled to repeat the word. Booth came to his rescue.

"Comprehension. She's not used to using small words when she knows big words that mean the same thing," he explained patiently. It was gonna be a long day if he had to translate everything for his son. Brennan glared at him.

"How about we go to my place and play a game?" Booth suggested, hoping to distract them both. It worked for one of them. Parker began bouncing, tugging on his hand.

"Goody! Can we play 'Go Fish'?" Booth smothered a groan. His son had learned the game several weeks ago and it was the only one he wanted to play. All the time. Until Booth wanted to bang his head against a wall.

Brennan saw Booth roll his eyes and smirked, and she decided she ought to save him. Though she didn't know why she should--he'd been teasing her constantly since they picked Parker up. "Do you have 'Chutes and Ladders'?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She'd seen it in the closet at Booth's place. "That was my favorite when I was a little girl," she told Parker.

Some of the bounce went out of the boy's step. "Daddy's got it in the closet. I guess we can play that." He smiled sweetly. "Can I be red? That's my most favoritest color."

Brennan smiled at him. "Sure, if I can be blue. That's my favorite." Booth gave her a grateful look and she mouthed 'you owe me one'. A grin cocked up one side of his mouth as he thought of all the fun ways he could pay her back. Seeing that grin and guessing the direction of his thoughts, she blushed. Fortunately for her, they'd finally reached the car.

The game didn't involve any strategy or brain power at all so Brennan was able to play it while studying the interplay between father and son. They joked back and forth a lot, and she marveled at how natural and relaxed Booth was with the boy. He didn't talk down to him and he let him learn from his mistakes on his own. He was a great father.

Parker did a cute little happy dance when he won the game. As they put the pieces in the box to put it away, Brennan looked at her partner suspiciously.

"What?" he asked innocently. Brennan frowned and made a slight gesture with her head that he took to mean she wanted a private word with him. Picking up the game, he ruffled his son's hair.

"Hey, bud, why don't you pick out a movie for us to watch," he told him, heading for the closet to put the game up. Brennan was there when he closed the closet door and turned around.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure Parker was still occupied elsewhere. "Did you let him win?" she whispered.

Booth frowned. "What? No! He won, fair and square," he said softly. "He needs to learn to be a graceful winner as much as he needs to learn that you can't always win." He glanced over her shoulder as the T.V. came on and the opening theme music for 'Lion King' came on. It was now or never. He took a step closer to her, cupping her shoulders with his hands. His lips slanted over hers and her knees turned to jelly as he kissed her thoroughly. He'd wanted to do that all day.

"Daddy, the movie's starting," Parker called from the living room. They jumped apart guiltily. Careful not to touch each other and trying to act naturally, they joined the boy in the living room. Parker wedged himself between them, blissfully unaware of the sexual tension vibrating between the adults.

This Monday was a complete turn around from the last one. She was in her office by 6:30, bright eyed and in a very good mood. The only problem was she couldn't concentrate. She'd do fine for awhile, then she'd remember something Booth had said or a mental picture of him without his shirt would pop into her head and long moments would pass before she'd snap out of it. After it happened for the fourth time she stood and grabbed her coffee cup, heading for the break room.

Angela was there, toasting a bagel, and Brennan turned on her heel, afraid to face her friend. Angela saw the movement from the corner of her eye and turned to catch her. "Bren!" She stopped short, taking a quiet calming breath before turning with a bright smile.

"Good morning!" she said brightly. She crossed to the coffeemaker. Angela dipped her head a little, trying to get her to meet her eyes. Brennan glanced at her briefly then turned to pour her coffee.

"Did you have a good weekend?" Angela asked, radar on high alert. Something was up.

Brennan smiled at her and the radar calmed down. She _seemed_ okay.

"Yeah, it was great. I was so busy, I didn't even come into the lab." Brennan winced inwardly. 'Why did I tell her that?'

The radar was back on high. "Really?" Angela studied her carefully. Her color was higher than usual and she seemed—perky. Definitely something was up. "What did you do?"

Brennan affected a casual gesture. "Oh, you know, cleaning, shopping, errands. But mostly I worked on my novel. It's going really well."

Angela nodded thoughtfully, still skeptical. "Great, that's good to hear. I understand writer's block can be brutal. I'm glad you got past it." She took a bite of her bagel, watching Brennan the whole time. "Have you seen Booth?" she asked, watching for a reaction.

Brennan frowned. "No, I think he said something about having Parker for the weekend."

Angela took another bite, nodding again, studying her face. There didn't seem to be any underlying vibes, but her instincts were screaming at her. Something was off. The bland look on her friend's face was hiding something, but she didn't know what. Yet. She'd figure it out. Maybe when Booth came in she'd get a clue from him. She straightened, picking up the rest of her bagel.

"Well, I have some work to do. Call me if you need me," she said with a smile and walked out. Brennan exhaled the breath she had been holding. That was hard, but after Angela, the others would be a piece of cake. Taking her cup, she went back to her office.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I hope you will excuse some liberties I am taking in this chapter with the H/A wedding situation. Yes, I know, I saw the finale, but hey, my muse insisted on this. So, shoot me. And then please review, 'cuz I live for reviews. BTW, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. I smile every time I find them in my inbox and the reviews are what keep me writing.**

The Secret Part 9

Booth stood in her doorway for a long moment, watching Bones at her desk. He was overwhelmed by a rush of love so intense, he needed another minute to bring himself under control. She was frowning, concentrating on whatever she had up on her computer screen. She looks really beautiful this morning, he thought. He shook himself mentally, pushing the inappropriate thought from his mind.

Finally managing to put a bland look on his face, he walked in and took a seat in the chair in front of her desk. She threw him a distracted glance, then returned to the computer. "What are you doing here, Booth?"

'Wow, she's good,' he thought, strangely disturbed that she seemed to be having no problem behaving normally. "We have a case," he said, hoping to draw her attention away from the computer. No dice.

"Really?" she replied without much interest. She clicked her mouse again, cocking her head a little as she stared at the screen.

He was beginning to wonder what was so damned interesting that she wasn't giving him her full attention. He waited another minute or two, then got up and came around the desk. Leaning over her shoulder, he peered at the monitor. What he saw caused him to straighten and take a step back, shocked to the core.

There were four photos of models wearing wedding dresses and Brennan was having a hard time deciding. The one on the far left was too fussy, the one next to it had too much lace, but the other two were each perfect in their own way. Clicking her mouse, she took a closer look at each of them. Hmmm, I can't decide, she thought, frustrated. She sensed a presence behind her and glanced over her shoulder at Booth.

"Hey, which one do you like better?" she asked, clicking back and forth between the two photos. "Angela said I have to decide this morning so she can get it altered in time for the wedding."

Booth released the breath he'd been holding as comprehension dawned. Angela's wedding dress, not Brennan's. He laughed weakly. "Aw, you know, I'm not really the one to ask," he said, startled at the wave of relief that rushed through him.

"I'm not asking for a commitment, Booth. Just pick one. I like them both equally for different reasons." She threw him a puzzled look over her shoulder and he smiled and shrugged.

"Uh, this one I guess," he said, pointing at one randomly.

"Why that one?" she just had to ask.

Booth smothered a groan and racked his brain for something to say. "I think Angela would look great in it," he said lamely. Another puzzled look.

"Angela would look great in almost anything. What exactly do you like about this dress?" she asked.

Booth sighed, frustrated. 'All of a sudden I'm an expert fashion consultant?' he thought irritably. Leaning over her again, he pointed at the bodice. "Um, well, this part here is nice and there isn't any lace. I hate a lot of lace." Her hair smelled wonderful and he allowed himself a moment to enjoy being close to her. Turning her head, she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. Straightening, he moved back around the desk and sat down once more. He gave her an innocent look, daring her to make an issue of it. Rolling her eyes, she looked back at the monitor, clicked on the dress Booth had chosen, and sent the picture in an email to Angela. Closing down her computer, she finally gave him her undivided attention.

"You said something about a case?" she asked

"Yeah, body parts found out at the landfill," he explained briefly. Standing up, he motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

Standing, she grabbed her bag and coat. "Sure, let me see if Zach's available."

Zach was up on the platform reading a fascinating article on bone anomalies. But when Dr. Brennan called out his name, he laid it aside immediately. He loved doing field work, especially with her. Agent Booth had even started treating him with a bit more respect. Just last week he had patted his shoulder with an open hand, indicating approval. It made him happy just thinking about it.

Grabbing his kit, he hurried to join the pair as they headed for the parking structure. He didn't think they would leave without him, but he didn't want to give them any excuse.

There wasn't much of a crowd at the scene, largely due to the smell. Brennan was thankful. Even though she had trained herself to shut out distractions when working a crime scene, it took less effort the fewer people there were. Crouching by the torso, she looked around. A naked leg was three feet away and she could see a foot sticking out next to the shoulder of the torso. There was no sign of a head and the arms were missing too.

"Zach, get the shovels out of the truck. We're going to have to move debris to find the rest of the body. Grab a body bag too." Zach hurried off and she turned back to what was left of the torso. Booth stood nearby, concentrating on breathing through his mouth.

"Victim is male between 5 foot 8 and 6 foot 2, judging from the length of the torso. Possibly dead four to six weeks."

Booth was scribbling down the data, but looked up when she stopped. "And? Any idea what race?"

Brennan frowned, shaking her head. "Hard to tell. Not much dermis left and decomposition can change skin color."

Zach came back with the shovels and the body bag and they got down to work. Moving debris carefully, cataloguing the location of each part as they found it, they worked in ever widening circles out from the torso. Unfortunately, after four and a half hours, they still hadn't found the head and hands. Brennan sat back on her heels, breathing heavily. That was odd. Where could they be?

Booth came back from talking to the man who ran the landfill. "Well, he was no help, but no surprise there. You think the body came in on one of the garbage trucks or did someone brought it here with a load of junk?"

"Probably a garbage truck," Brennan replied. "I found remnants of a large black trash bag under the torso. I think the body was bagged and sent out with the trash. The head and hands are missing, so identification is going to be difficult."

Booth sighed. Nothing was ever simple. "Are you almost done here?"

She looked up at him, noting the signs of strain and tiredness on his face. "Yes. I'd like to have a team continue to search for the missing parts while Zach and I get the rest of the evidence to the lab. I'm not ready to give up on finding more, but our time would be better spent there." She stood up straight for the first time in hours, fists at the small of her back, trying to stretch out the kinks. She ached all over and suspected she smelled pretty bad too.

Booth saw her wince. "Maybe you should call it a day. Get a hot shower and a bite to eat. After a good night's sleep, you'll be better equipped to deal with this," he suggested.

Swiping her forehead with her wrist, she really wanted to agree, but it was only three in the afternoon. "There's a lot to do yet, Booth. I ought to get started right away," she argued.

He stepped closer to her, his eyes filled with concern. "It'll be there waiting for you tomorrow, Bones." Noting the stubborn tilt of her chin, he sighed with frustration. "C'mon, you're no good to me exhausted. You could make mistakes and that won't help the case."

Her spine stiffened with affront. "I rarely make mistakes and I resent the implication—"

"Go home, Bones," he interrupted firmly. "Please," he added more softly.

She stood uncertainly, watching Zach pack the evidence in a case. Thankfully he seemed to be oblivious to the undercurrents between her and Booth. She would have been surprised if he had noticed. In spite of his brilliant mind, Zach was Angela's polar opposite when it came to picking up vibes between people. She sighed as exhaustion overwhelmed her. Booth was right, damn him. Picking up her kit, she trudged back to the SUV. 'Maybe a shower and a meal would do the trick and I can return to the lab later,' she thought. Little did she know Booth had other plans for her.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. You guys make my day! There are maybe one or two more chaps. Please R&R 'cuz I just LOVE to get reviews. Seriously, they're my favorite thing next to chocolate.**

The Secret Part 10

"Where's Booth and Brennan?" Angela asked as Zach rolled the gurney loaded with the body bag and all of the evidence bags.

"Agent Booth took Dr. Brennan home for the day. She was very tired and dirty and he told her she should shower and eat and rest up for tomorrow," Zach reported. "Of course, I'm just as tired and dirty, but nobody suggested I should go home." Nobody commented and Zach sighed. Hodgins helped him move everything up onto the platform, sorting the evidence bags according to type. Angela's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she noted the time. Brennan calling it a day before four o'clock? What was going on with her?

"They dropped you off here before going to her place, right? Why didn't she pick up her car while she was here?" she asked reasonably.

Zach shrugged as he continued to help Hodgins. "Agent Booth wouldn't even let her get out. Dr. Brennan threatened to yell kidnap out the window and then he gave her a funny look and told her she was too tired to drive. For some reason she stopped arguing and sat staring out the window. I guess he is going to pick her up in the morning."

Angela frowned as her instincts went on high alert. Something was going on with those two. She wished Zach's powers of observation were better. He was useless when it came to reading people. Sighing, she resigned herself to waiting for tomorrow to learn more. Although, there was no rule against calling her friend later. A sly smile graced her face as she turned back to her computer.

Brennan started to open her door when they arrived at the front doors of the Jeffersonian but Booth stopped her by hitting the door locks after Zach had his door open.

"Ah-ah-ah, not so fast. Where are you going?" Booth asked.

She gave him a puzzled look. "I'm going to get my car," she replied patiently.

"Leave it here," he said bossily. "I'm driving you home—I want to make sure you get home safely. Besides, without your car, I know you'll stay home tonight."

"I'm fine Booth, really." She glared as he gave her a stubborn look. "If you don't let me out, I'm going to scream kidnap out the window," she threatened. Zach was watching the whole exchange with interest.

"Bones, I really think you're too tired to drive. I can pick you up on my way in tomorrow," he offered. Brennan opened her mouth to argue then shut it again at the warm caring look on his face. She settled back and turned to stare out the window. He could be so bossy sometimes, but it was hard to argue when he looked at her that way. Besides, if she was really honest with herself, she had to admit she was exhausted and her back hurt. Maybe a hot shower was just the thing she needed.

Booth was waiting for her when she came out of the bathroom in her bathrobe, hair wrapped in a towel. He had shed his suit jacket and dress shirt. Her mouth quirked when she saw his crazy socks. She looked up into his face and the desire in his eyes wiped the smile away.

"Go lay face down on the bed," he commanded gently.

Intrigued and too tired to argue, she obeyed. Her pulse and respiration picked up as she felt the bed dip by her right hip and she turned on the pillow so she could see him. "What--?" she asked as he loosened the belt on her robe and pulled the top of her robe off her shoulders.

"Just relax," he murmured. She almost came off the bed when he straddled her thighs. "Relax," he repeated softly, and then he was massaging her shoulders, sending cascades of incredible sensations running along her nerves. She couldn't suppress a groan of pleasure as his talented hands worked their way down to her lower back where most of the pain was concentrated. Working the knotted muscles there, Booth smiled as she moaned over and over. Soon the moans stopped and he realized she'd fallen asleep. Covering her with the robe once more, he slipped out of the room and went to make dinner. There would be time to continue where he left off later.

Brennan woke slowly as a tantalizing aroma worked its way into her consciousness. It smelled like garlic, oregano and…basil maybe? Sighing with contentment she rolled over and looked around. The room was dark and she sensed she was alone. With a smile she got up and put on a comfortable pair of jeans and a baby tee, then went in search of her partner.

She found him at the stove stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce. He had put on her Phil Collins CD and Booth was humming to 'Easy Lover'. Sneaking up on him in her bare feet, she felt him jump a little when she slipped her arms around his waist from behind. He put down the spoon and turned in her arms.

"Hey, sleeping beauty. How do you feel?" he asked softly, dropping a kiss on her nose.

Brennan smiled. "Wonderful. Is that spaghetti sauce? Smells delicious," she said, leaning around to look in the pan.

"Yep, it's about done and so are the noodles and the garlic toast is in the oven. Wanna set the table and pour the wine?"

Leaning up, she kissed him, intending to keep it brief, but he wanted more. Wrapping his arms around her, his tongue delved into the velvet depths of her mouth, sending waves of pleasure racing down her back. Groaning a little, she pressed closer and pulled his head down, stroking his tongue with her own until her mind was reeling and her knees went weak. They broke apart as a beeping behind him indicated the bread was done. She stroked his cheek and smiled as she pulled away and Booth had to force himself to let her go. 'Wow,' he thought, trying to calm his racing heart. 'We may not make it through dinner if she keeps that up.' Mustering all his self control, he turned to pull the bread from the oven.

Between the delicious food and the excellent wine, Brennan was feeling very mellow. Booth was regaling her with a cute story about Parker when the phone rang. She grimaced at him and excused herself to answer it.

"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" Angela's voice was gentle with concern.

Brennan smiled hesitantly, mouthing 'Angela' at Booth and putting a finger to her lips. "I'm fine, Ange, just really tired," she replied, trying to sound exhausted.

"I was worried. You never go home this early, especially when we have a new case," her friend probed.

Brennan frowned as Booth came over. She held him off with an upraised hand.

"I know, I'm sorry, maybe I'm coming down with something. Really, I'm fine," she repeated. "I took a hot shower and I'm having a good dinner and then I'm going to bed."

Brennan sounded odd and Angela's radar was off the charts. "Zach said Booth took you home. Did he stay for dinner?"

"B-Booth? N-no, I think he went home too. Why?" Brennan cursed the stutter. Booth shook his head in warning. 'Don't blow it' he mouthed at her.

"Just wondering," Angela said breezily, giddy with excitement, almost certain that her suspicions were correct. It was just a matter of time. "Well, see ya tomorrow, Sweetie. Get some sleep, okay?"

Brennan's heart sank as she hung up. Their secret wasn't going to last much longer. Angela was just too sharp.

"Well, what did she say? Do you think you fooled her?" he asked anxiously. Meeting his eyes, Brennan shook her head. "Maybe we should take her into our confidence and then make her promise not to tell anyone," Booth ventured.

"We may have to. Hopefully she hasn't shared her suspicions with anyone else. I'll have to play it by ear tomorrow," Brennan said pensively. Suddenly Booth pulled her into his arms, needing the physical contact with her.

"It'll be okay," he murmured, kissing her to cut off any argument. Pushing the worry away, she allowed his kisses to take over her senses. Tomorrow would be there later. Right now she needed to lose herself in him.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Please tell me if I went all 'drama queen' on this part. I was having a hard time controlling musie's flare for the dramatic. Reviews make me very happy, so please R&R!**

The Secret Part 11

_Brennan moaned as Booth lowered her to the bed and his lips moved up her neck to nibble at her earlobe. His hand moved leisurely down her back to stroke her butt. Bending her knee, she moved her hips involuntarily, wordlessly begging for more. He raised himself on his elbows and she opened her eyes. He was looking at her tenderly and Brennan felt her heart pound as the most incredible wave of love overwhelmed her. He bent to kiss her passionately, sweeping his tongue along the inside of her bottom lip, sucking it softly._

_Suddenly Cullen was there, standing over them. "What do you have to say for yourself, Agent Booth? Is this what you call professional behavior?" he demanded harshly. Booth continued his sensual assault on her mouth as though he hadn't heard._

_Angela was there next to Cullen. "Sorry, Sweetie, but I had to tell. He put me in an interrogation room and grilled me for hours." She shrugged with a smirk. "Okay, it was only five minutes, but it felt like hours," she said with a giggle. She linked arms with Cullen. "See, I was right."_

_Cullen looked at them with disappointment. "I'm sorry, Agent Booth. You leave me no choice but to reassign you. It's just too dangerous," he finished regretfully._

"_Nooooo," Brennan screamed, clutching at her lover's shoulders as Cullen reached down to pull him away._

Brennan sat up suddenly, sweat pouring down her body as she tried to shake the affects of the dream. Sensing her distress, Booth sat up too.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.

Brennan covered her face and shuddered. 'It was only a dream, Brennan. Get a grip,' she told herself sternly.

Concerned, Booth put his arms around her. "Baby? Tell me what's wrong," he said softly as she trembled in his arms.

Brennan took several deep, steadying breaths. "Nightmare," she whispered, amazed at how deeply the dream had disturbed her. Some people believed dreams were manifestations of a person's deepest fears. She didn't know if she believed that, but after this she wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the idea.

He was stoking her back and murmuring comfortingly, and gradually she calmed down. Sliding her arms up around his neck, she clung to him tightly. He eased her back down on the bed and lay there just holding her. Pulling back a little she looked up at him. With a little whimper she started kissing him, an edge of desperation to her kisses. A little startled, Booth responded passionately, sensing the depth of her need of him.

Rolling him onto his back, Brennan spread herself over him as though she wanted to feel all of him. He groaned with pleasure as she skillfully joined their bodies and then set a slow, maddening rhythm, her eyes locked on his. He took it until his body was screaming for release, and then he rolled on top of her and took over, picking up the pace until she arched her back and cried out his name. Only then did he find release too.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Booth asked gently as they ate breakfast. She'd been unusually quiet and he was concerned.

Brennan sighed and picked up her coffee. "There's nothing to talk about. It was just a silly dream."

"Nightmare. And it couldn't have been that silly. It's put a cloud over your morning," he remarked, staring at her probingly. "C'mon, babe. It may help if you talk about it."

"I doubt that. Just forget it, it's not important." Picking up her fork, she speared some egg. "So, what do you have planned for today?"

Booth grudgingly permitted the change of subject. "I'll drop you off at the lab and run home for a shower and change of clothes. After I check in at my office, I'll come by and see what the squints might have and hang around to take my favorite forensic anthropologist to lunch." He grinned as he said that last and Brennan gave him a doubtful look.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said quietly.

His face fell. "Why not? We have lunch together a lot. Nobody will think anything of it."

Sighing, she looked away. "The more time we spend together, especially during the day, the greater the chances of our secret coming out. I just think we need to be careful."

"Bullsh!t," he said more harshly than he intended. She looked at him, blinking in surprise. "You're having second thoughts about us, aren't you? We're getting too close and you wanna back off because you're afraid I'm gonna leave you," he accused softly.

Closing her eyes briefly, she opened them and leaned towards him, meeting his eyes steadily. "No, that's not it. I just don't want Cullen to find out and reassign you." She kissed him softly and she felt the tension leave him. "I love you," she said solemnly.

Smiling, he kissed her. "I love you, too. And I love spending time with you. It'll be okay," he assured her, wishing he could be sure. Being partners with her was almost as important to him as having her love. He resolved in that moment that nothing was going to get in the way of their being together.

Brennan was examining the headless man and Zach stood across the table, bent over one of the arms. The search team hadn't found the head or hands and she was feeling frustrated. An I.D. of the body was going to be nearly impossible without them.

Hodgins was processing the few particulates found with the body with little success. Angela sat next to him, bored. With no head to work with, she felt superfluous. She was watching Brennan surreptitiously, trying to get a read on her friend's mood. She seemed fine, but her radar wouldn't calm down.

Booth strode into the lab, swiping his card and stepping up onto the platform. Angela perked up, glancing over at Brennan, who didn't even look up.

"Bones, have you got anything yet?" he asked just as he did almost every time he came in. She couldn't get anything from his expression and she looked back at Brennan.

"Good morning to you too, Booth," she said caustically, shooting him a glance. "It's a little early yet, but since the search team didn't find the rest of the body, identification is going to be difficult. We know the victim is Hispanic, approximately sixteen to twenty-five years old in good physical condition. His pectorals, abdominals, biceps and triceps are well developed, so it's obvious he worked out a lot. Hodgins and I agree he's been dead four weeks. Angela was able to determine his height at roughly five foot nine from the length of the torso and legs." She glanced at Angela. "Ange, would you run a search in the databases and see how many hits you get with that information?"

"Sure." Angela rolled her chair over to her terminal and got busy, keeping an ear on the conversation behind her.

Booth went over and stood next to Zach, putting his hands in his pockets so he wouldn't be tempted to lean on the table. Breathing through his mouth, he looked at the mess in front of them, wondering for the hundredth time what they saw when they examined something like this. He didn't get it, but he was grateful for the sake of the investigation that they did.

"Are there any defensive wounds on the forearms?" Brennan asked as she bent closer to look at the stab wounds that riddled the torso. Her hair was up in a rough ponytail and Booth's mind wandered to how it had looked spread across her pillow. His attention snapped back when Angela spoke up.

"Missing persons has twelve hits fitting that description from four weeks ago in the D.C. area," she announced. "Any tattoos? That would help narrow it down."

Zach spoke up. "There's one on the right forearm, but the decomposition is so bad, there isn't much left of it."

Angela came over to look as Booth moved around to stand beside Brennan on the other side of the table. Zach pointed at the remnants of the tattoo and she examined it closely, at the same time intensely aware of the vibes between the pair across the table. Smiling inwardly, she straightened to look at them. "Scan it into the computer and I'll see what I can find, okay Zach?" she asked, smiling broadly at Booth and Brennan.

Booth's heart was pounding as Angela watched them. Something in her eyes told him she knew. It was time to have a little talk with her.

"Hey, Angela, while squint boy does that, wanna grab a cup of coffee?" he asked, forcing himself not to look at his partner. She didn't need to be in on this.

"Sure," Angela replied, almost giddy with triumph. Confession time!

Thankfully, they had the break room to themselves. They sat at a table in the corner, chairs angled so they could watch the door in case someone came in. Taking a sip of his coffee, Booth took a deep breath and got right to the heart of the matter.

"Brennan and I are involved," he confessed in a low voice. Angela's face lit up.

"Well it's about time!" she said, suppressing the urge to squeal and jump up to do a happy dance. "How long has this been going on?" she asked curiously.

"About a week and a half," he replied quietly. She was showing amazing self control. "Thing is, we're trying to keep it quiet. If Cullen finds out, he might reassign me. We don't want that."

Angela sobered. "You're right," she said pensively. "Can I tell Hodgins?" she asked hopefully.

Booth sighed. He'd expected that question. "Only if it's absolutely necessary. The fewer people who know, the easier it will be to keep it under wraps. Can we count on your help?"

"Of course you can, Booth." She studied him for a moment. His obvious relief at being able to share his news with someone was almost comical. She hated to burst his bubble, but someone had to be the voice of reason. "You realize it's gonna come out sooner or later, right?"

Blowing out a frustrated breath, he nodded. "Yeah, but we're gonna try to keep it quiet for as long as we can. Meanwhile, I'm trying to come up with a way to deal with Cullen if and when he does find out. I'm open to any ideas you might have."

Her eyes took on a faraway look as she thought about the problem. She focused on him again and shrugged. "Not right off, but maybe something will come to me." Leaning forward, her voice dropped to a whisper. "So you two are in love? Is it amazing? Are you totally nuts about her?" Her eyes were shining and excitement was radiating from her in waves.

Booth smiled as he thought about Brennan. "Yeah, it's amazing," was all he would say, and Angela sighed and sat back. She supposed she'd have to be content with that.


	12. Chapter 12

The Secret Part 12

Brennan glanced up distractedly when Booth and Angela returned. Angela was practically glowing and Booth looked—guilty? She wondered briefly what they had been up to, but Zach chose that moment to speak.

"Angela, I scanned the tattoo into the computer. It's up on your monitor."

"Thanks, Zach," she said, sitting down and getting right to work with an innocent air.

Brennan narrowed her eyes at Angela and then looked at Booth again. It didn't take a genius to sense he was hiding something as his eyes darted around, unable to meet hers. She straightened and pulled her gloves off.

"Zach, measure the stab wounds and see if you can figure out what kind of weapon was used. Booth, can I see you in my office?"

Booth rolled his eyes at Angela, suppressing a groan as he followed Brennan. He really didn't want to do this right now.

He closed the door behind him and stood waiting for the question he knew was coming. He didn't have long to wait.

"What did you and Angela talk about?" she demanded in a low voice. His reply stopped her heart.

"I told her about us," he confessed, and Brennan's face paled. "She pretty much suspected already. I was afraid she might share her suspicions with someone else. I explained why we want to keep it secret and she agreed to keep it quiet," he rushed to reassure her.

Brennan closed her eyes as fear overwhelmed her. Opening them again, she found Booth watching her with a concerned look. "I hope she can," Brennan said quietly.

Booth looked a little puzzled. "I think she understands what could happen if she lets it slip. She's a good friend," he reminded her.

Brennan sighed. "I know she is, and I don't think she would deliberately tell anyone. I'm just—afraid. I don't want Cullen to break us up. Working cases with you—means more to me than I thought it would. When I had to work with Sully—he's a great guy and a good investigator, but he isn't you. It wasn't the same."

Happiness filled him and Booth fought to control the urge to take her into his arms. Not for the first time he wished her office walls weren't glass. "It'll be okay," he said firmly. "He isn't going to find out. But if somehow he does, we'll find a way to convince him not to reassign me. I don't want to lose our partnership either." His eyes tried to convey the depth of his certainty and Brennan tried to find comfort in that, but shadows of the dream still haunted her. Logic told her that it was only a dream, but it had been so vivid, so real that she remembered it like it had actually happened.

Booth sensed her inner struggle and took an involuntary step towards her, stopping when she raised a hand. "Later, okay Booth? Right now we have a case to work." He gave her a look full of caring and love and she looked away. "If we're going to make this work, we need to keep our emotions out of the workplace." She looked back at him and was grateful to see the love had been put away. At the same time, she ached to go to him and hold him until it came back, but there would be time for that later, when they were alone. For now, they needed to solve a murder.

The day was nearly over before Angela found a chance to talk to Brennan alone. Walking into her office, she closed the door and sat down on the couch where her friend was reading a report.

"Sweetie, are you mad?" she asked gently. Brennan sighed and laid the report aside.

"No, not mad. Just—afraid." Angela opened her mouth to protest and Brennan rushed on. "I know you would never deliberately break your promise. I trust you. I'm just afraid it might slip out sometime." Brennan's eyes pleaded for understanding. "I-I had a dream," she said, finally telling her friend the root of her fear. "You were in it and Cullen and you had told him and he was going to break us up," she said quickly before she could change her mind about telling her.

Angela gave her a sympathetic if somewhat puzzled look. "I never thought you put much credence in the meaning of dreams."

"I don't, really, it's too much like psychology and you know how I feel about that. But it was so real and my mind keeps going back to it, almost like it really happened." Their eyes met and Angela's heart squeezed at the fear she found in the depths of Brennan's eyes. "What if he leaves, Ange? What if Cullen breaks us up and he leaves because the partnership was all that was holding us together?"

Angela almost cried at the sadness in her friend's voice. "Sweetie, he loves you so much—has for a long time. He goes out of his way to spend time with you outside work. How many times has he brought you take out late at night? He loves you," she repeated, trying to share her confidence with Brennan.

Sighing, knowing with her head, and her heart, to be totally honest, that Angela was right, Brennan tried to calm her fears, to find a balance within so she could handle the situation. When her eyes met Angela's again, they were steady. "I know he does. I just hope it's enough," she said softly. Angela put her arms around her and hugged her tightly, silently echoing that hope.

THE END

**A/N: I hope I didn't overplay Brennan's fear of abandonment. I feel it's very deeply rooted in her, but if anyone can get her over it, Booth can. Please R&R and look for the sequel, 'Secret No More'**


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